May’s struggles boost Corbyn

After the disastrous post-Brexit election in June, Theresa May was never going to have an easy time at the annual conference of her beleaguered Conservative party. It was worse than anyone expected, however, with Mrs May losing her voice during her keynote address, a prankster climbing on stage to hand her a mock job dismissal notice and Tory wall slogans collapsing behind her. The debacle reflects the dire straits the party is in as it squabbles over Brexit.

As Mrs May clings to her job, hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn is making most of the running. The Prime Minister is under siege and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson cannot disguise his ambitions for her job. But, in contrast to the Tory catfights, Mr Corbyn emerged from Labour’s conference looking like an authoritative figure leading a united party with a real chance of entering Downing Street. While avoiding his usual daft praise for the Venezuelan economic shipwreck under his hero, Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013, Mr Corbyn trotted out the rest of his 1970s socialist claptrap, however. He recited the same disastrous recipe that brought Britain to its knees pre-Thatcher, including renationalisation, reviving trade union power, taxing the rich, increasing public spending, requisitioning private property, and imposing rent and price controls.

Insisting he is “grossly loyal” to the Prime Minister, Mr Johnson is exploiting the situation subtly by training his sights firmly on Mr Corbyn. In doing so, as The Times noted, Mr Johnson drew attention “to who in the current cabinet could be entrusted with defeating the resurgent Labour leader in a general election”. Most Tories believe it is not Mrs May. She has failed to make the case unapologetically for free enterprise, low taxes and wealth creation as a counter to Mr Corbyn’s return to 70s socialism.

The Tories must coalesce firmly behind Mrs May or a new prime minister. The vital Brexit negotiations need strong, coherent leadership. So does the fight to avoid the nightmare of Mr Corbyn and his wacky ideas entering Downing Street.